The Evictors (1979)

User Rating:

4.7/10   

Director:

Charles B. Pierce

Writers:

Charles B. Pierce (writer) and
Garry Rusoff (writer) ...

Release Date:

18 April 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

It was a small Louisiana town where people live and love and die and no one ever thought of locking their doors... except in the Monroe house.

Plot:

A young couple just being married rents a house in a village in Louisiana. But they are not welcome...

Plot Keywords:

House | Couple | Real Estate Agent | Occult | Haunted House

Cast

Vic Morrow	...	Jake Rudd
Michael Parks	...	Ben Watkins
Jessica Harper	...	Ruth Watkins
Sue Ane Langdon	...	Olie Gibson
Dennis Fimple	...	Mr. Bumford
Bill Thurman	...	Preacher Higgins
Jimmy Clem	...	Mr. Buckner
Harry Thomasson	...	Mr. Wheeler
Twyla Taylor	...	Mrs. Bumford
Mary Branch	...	Mrs. Mullins
John R. Meyer	...	Mr. Mullins (as John Meyer)
John Milam	...	Mr. Rhinehart
Roxanne Harter	...	Mrs. Rhinehart
Foster Litton	...	Sheriff
Owen Guthrie	...	G-Man

Runtime:

Spain:92 min | USA:92 min | West Germany:89 min (video)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (prologue) | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Norway:16 (original rating) | UK:18 | USA:PG | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Louisiana, USA

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Movie Connections:

Edited into 42nd Street Forever, Volume 2: The Deuce (2006) (V)

"The Evictors" is as brilliant as it is obscure ... = VERY!

I'm a big fan of Charles B. Pierce's movies and particularly admire the efforts he did in the field of horror. His movies are extremely low-budgeted, always incredibly hard to come across on VHS or DVD-R and they seemingly always appear to be inspired by true events, no matter how unlikely they may sound. "Legend of Boggy Creek" was a moody documentary-styled film revolving on the contemporary popular Sasquatch legend, the close-to-brilliant "The Town That Dreaded Sundown" was a predecessor to the modern teen-slashers as well as one of the rawest rural horror films ever made and then this "The Evictors", perhaps the most obscure movie of the entire bunch, is an impressively tense and slow-brooding 'haunted-house' type of chiller with a twist. Needless to say this film doesn't feature any outrageous gore, spectacular stunts or exploitative sleaze. Instead of all that, "The Evictors" purely thrives on a continuously ominous atmosphere, devoted performances and a few intelligently scripted surprise-twists when approaching the denouement. The largest part of the story takes place in a secluded little Louisianan town during the early 1940's. Pierce masterfully recreates the grim and almost depressing atmosphere of that era with exact period details (like vehicles, costumes, religious matters and the noticeable impact of WWII going on in Europe) and a rather uncanny yellow-tinted cinematography. The story opens in the year 1928, with the rather harsh eviction of a family from their farmhouse by heavily armed police officers and a relentless real estate agent. Nearly 15 years the amiable young couple Ben & Ruth Watkins move in. During the long days when Ben is working at the factory, Ruth makes her acquaintance with the neighbors and learns that everyone who lived in the house during the 30's also died there under mysterious circumstances. The stories of the previous tenants are illustrated through extended flashbacks that easily form the suspenseful highlights of the movie (along with the gripping climax, of course). Ruth becomes increasingly terrified of living in the house and then one night she encounters a tall, dark and sinister man atop the stairs… "The Evictors" is incredibly slow-paced (and probably not intended for younger, nowadays horror audiences) but very, VERY rewarding if you like ambiance-driven 70's horror. The murders are tamely depicted but they're surely brutal in tone and, even though you sort of can predict the final twist, it still comes across as mildly shocking when it gets revealed. Vic Morrow receives top billing for his role as sly estate agent, but it's really Jessica Harper and Michael Parks that deserve the most praise. Horror freaks will always remember and worship the stunningly beautiful and cherubic Mrs. Harper for her role in Dario Argento's genre milestone "Suspiria" and Michael Parks is nowadays mostly known for his returning role of Texas Ranger Earl McGraw in the films of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. The two form a charming on screen couple and they get some excellent supportive feedback from Sue Ann Langdon (as the wheelchair-bound neighbor), Dennis Fimple and Bill Thurman. This is a terrific film that could perhaps be described as a forerunner of films like "The Others" and "The Messengers", only with the irreplaceable fiendish ambiance of 70's exploitation/drive-in cinema. Highly recommended!